"I can't even tell you how I felt," Manuel said. "Honestly, I don't know. I think I started crying there. I'm not usually an emotional guy, but like I said, I want to enjoy those type of things. I'll be able to tell my grandkids about that 20, 30 years from now. It's definitely a momentous part of my young career."

Even after turning the ball over twice, the rookie showed poise and confidence in the pocket down the stretch. Manuel specifically was unflappable on the game-winning drive.

"He keeps telling me, and it gets me upset, he keeps telling me 'I'm all right,'?" Marrone said Sunday, via the Bills' official website. "If he's all right, then why is he making these decisions? But that's the type of kid he is. He's very relaxed, so I'm like, 'What did you see? Why'd you do that? That's not the read.' "

It's clear Manuel still has room to grow. He made several bad decisions that could have short-circuited the comeback. Had that happened, these could have been a different kind of postgame tears.

However, he passed one big test Sunday, displaying the moxie needed to be a starting NFL quarterback.